Hand sleigh for children



March 6, 1962 Filed Feb. 24, 1960 L. FESTAD HAND SLEIGH FOR CHILDREN 2 Sheets-Sheet l United States Patent 3,024,034 HAND SLEIGH FOR (IHILDREN Lars Festad, 229 E. 14th Ave., Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Filed Feb. 24, 1960, Ser. No. 10,704 3 Claims. ((31. 280-16) This invention relates to sleighs, having reference more particularly to a sleigh for children.

In the art to which the invention relates, childrens sleighs more usually are in the form of a single unit consisting of low runners and a platform or box on the runners, or they may comprise two articulated units such as bob sleighs. In these there are no convenient means by which the sleigh can be propelled by the user or users.

The present sleigh is made up of sections, a front section having an elevated seat for a child and a rear section coupled to the front section. The rear section includes a pair of runners with top plates on which a child may stand while propelling the sleigh with one foot, and the front section includes a handle for steering.

In addition other features are disclosed, including foot guard rails on the runner plates of the rear section, and a protecting bumper attached on the top plates of the front section runners. Also, the two units are so constructed that they may be folded for shipping.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent by the accompanying description taken in conjunction with the drawings.

In the drawings, wherein is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 1 is a side view of a sleigh in accordance with my invention, and in which the folded position of the pusher handle is shown in phantom turned forward on the seat.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the sleigh.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the sleigh, shown with the seat broken away in part.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view of a rear runner, including the foot guard rail and a fragment of the yoke to which it is attached.

FIG. 5 shows an enlarged plan view of fragments of the rear runner and yoke, showing the attachment of the runner to the yoke.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged side view of a front runner and fragment of a leg portion with which the runner is integral, and with the runner shown broken away, and including an end view of the runner and top plate.

FIG. 7 is a detail enlarged top view of the front unit cross bar and the rear unit yoke, including the elements for attaching the yoke to the cross bar, shown with the cross bar and yoke broken away.

FIG. 8 is a detail enlarged side view of the cross bar, yoke and attaching elements shown in FIGURE 7 with the yoke cushioning spring omitted.

FIG. 9 is a front end view of the seat fabric shown in attachment to the legs.

Having reference to the drawings, the sleigh consists of front and rear sections, of which the front section is formed of a single piece of tubular material curved or bent to provide spaced leg portions 1 and 2 with parallel seat sections, as indicated at 3 and 4, and an integral rear cross bar 5 forming a back rest for a child seated on the sleigh section.

A seat is provided consisting of a piece of fabric 6 folded over the seat portions of the legs and secured, as by stitching, and as shown in FIGURE 9.

"ice

The lower parts of the legs 1 and 2 are flattened to form top plates 7, to which are fixed runners 8, as by welding.

To the seat portions 3 and 4 of the legs is attached by bolts 9 a pusher handle 10, the bolts including spacer washers 11 between the handle arms 12 and the seat portions by which the handle may fold over the seat without binding on the fabric 6.

The front sleigh section further includes a tubular bumper 13 attached to the top plates 7 and to the legs 1 and 2.

The rear sleigh section is made up of two main parts, a yoke 14 of tubular material with depending leg portions 15 to which runners 16 are attached by bolts 17. On the runners are top standing plates 18 fixed thereto, as by welding, and on these top plates are secured low tubular foot guard rails 19 that bend slightly outward, as is apparent in FIGURE 3, to permit of a child standing on the runner top plates with its feet protected by the guard rails.

At its upper end the yoke 14 is flattened to form a connecting element 20 engageable between spaced leaves 21 of a coupling 22 that is engaged on a tubular cross bar 23 fixed to the under side of the seat portions 3 and 4 of the front section legs. The element 20 and coupling 22 are connected by a pin 24. This allows the sleigh sections to swing laterally in relation to each other.

The swinging movement of the sleigh sections in relation to each other is limited by bolts 25, and further is cushioned by a flat spring 26 engaged by studs 27 between the leaves 21. The coupling for the yoke is held in place on the cross bar 23 by collars 2-8 on the cross bar.

In the use of the sleigh, one child sits on the seat 6 of the front unit and a second child stands on the runner plates 18 of the rear section and grasps the pusher handle 10. In this position the second child can propel the sleigh with one foot pushing against the snow covered ground and at the same time steer the sleigh by the handle 10.

The flat plates 7 and 18 on the runners 8 and 16 serve as supports for the sleigh sections when traveling over loose or soft snow, and as well serve to strengthen the runner blades.

Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention, what I claim and wish to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a sleigh for children a front section formed of a single piece of material bent to provide a seat portion consisting of a back rest and spaced parallel sides, the sides of the seat portion curving forwardly downward forming legs and then rearward terminating in runners, a cross bar attached to the sides of the seat portion, a pusher handle attached to the seat portion sides, a rear sleigh section comprising a pair of runners and a yoke to which the runers are attached, and coupling means between the yoke and front sleigh section cross bar permitting the sleigh sections to swing laterally in relation to each other.

2. A sleigh for children as set out in claim 1 in which the runners are formed of flat top plates and flat blades fixed edgewise to the under sides of the top plates extending lengthwise of the top plates at right angles thereto.

3. A sleigh for children comprising a front section having spaced runners with integral upwardly turned forward portions that extend rearward above the runners forming a seat carrying portion, a pusher handle attached to the rearwardly extending seat carrying portion of the runners, a rear section for the sleigh consisting of runners for travel horizontally on the ground and adapted to form a stand for a child riding thereon, and a yoke pivotally connected to the front section to swing sidewise in relation thereto, said yoke having outwardly spread downwardly extending leg portions attached to the rear section runners.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 205,162 Wilkerson -l June 18, 1878 Swanson Ian. 1, 1924 Michalowski Apr. 21, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Austria -t. Oct. 25, 1949 France Feb. 19, 1945 Great Britain Dec. 20, 1890 Sweden Jan. 21, 1899 

